INTRODUCTION
This is my 500 words reflection on my fieldwork placement at Moreland City Council Library Service Coburg Branch and the way it has influenced my appreciation of myself and as an information professional.
DESCRIPTION
At the beginning of 2014, I had to organise my second fieldwork placements of fifty hours. My first fieldwork placement was at Australian Catholic University Library, Melbourne Campus. As a consequence I needed to find my second placement in one of the following library categories:
- Public Libraries
- School Libraries
- Hospital Libraries
Most libraries in Melbourne start at the beginning of the year to allocated time for fieldwork placements. However, I started in the middle of first semester 2014 and it was lucky that I found a library that was able to accommodate me Moreland City Council Library Service was able to fit me in at the end of July. However, this caused me to have to delay my graduation until the end of 2014.
ANALYSIS
On the first day, I was a little bit apprehensive about what was going to happen and if I would be able to do the work. The reason for this is that I have been away from libraries for a long time looking after my mother. Thirty minutes after I started my apprehension disappeared and this was due to the support of the staff of Moreland City Council Library Service, Coburg Branch
The fieldwork placement was only for one week and Moreland City Council Library Service Coburg Branch is a very busy library. One consequence is they did not have the time for me to sit on the information desk, but I was able to still learn by watching the librarians on that desk and by asking questions. I would also have liked to spend more time helping with computer training and storytelling.
Working at the Moreland City Council Library Service made me realise that I have not lost my library knowledge or library skills even though I have not worked in a library for some time. Also, it allowed me to realise even though I only worked at Queensland University of Technology Law Library at night-time, that I had gained some very valuable skills that were helpful in this fieldwork placement. These skills were:
- Team work
- Computer training
- Checking for reserve items
- Trustworthy
- On time
- Shelving
Working at Moreland City Council Library Service I was able to draw on my own skills, knowledge especially when I was weeding Coburg large print collection. By observing the library staff, I was able to gain new knowledge such as how to do storytelling and baby rhyme time. From my supervisor I also gained knowledge on what is involved in marketing public libraries and working at Moreland City Council Library Service.
Another benefit from doing this fieldwork placement was that I did not only use my own skills but I gained new ones that will help me in my own professional development. The new skills were:
- Using Libero – lending, ordering, cataloguing
- Continuing my knowledge of new catalogue rules – Resource Description and Access (RDA)
- Continuing my knowledge of Storytelling
- Rhyme time
- Self-Checking procedures
CONCLUSION
I had only a week at Moreland City Council Library Service, however I still learned a lot from the fieldwork placement and I did grow as an information professional. The placement allowed me to draw out my own capabilities and to gain new skills and knowledge.
Jennifer Diggens 